2008 Woodie Awards
Favorably job market to greet this year's graduates
Anthony Glynn
Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: News
Out with the old, and in with the young.
It seems 2007 will be a great year to graduate college, as professional recruiters are hiring more than they have in the three past years, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The group, which focuses on employment of the college-educated, reports that employers plan to hire 17.4 percent more than they did last year.
In the suburban Maryland and Washington region, labor demand increase is particularly high in the consulting and accounting fields, according to Monica Shutte, the director of undergraduate student programming, because of the proximity to many federal government jobs.
"We've also seen a lot of finance organizations come in," Shutte said. "[That and government] are the big ones."
The reaction from some university career counselors is fear that students will become overconfident with a fortuitous market in the upswing. For example, 68 percent of the engineering graduate class of December 2006 had accepted job offers, up from May 2005, when only 60 percent had accepted job offers.
The main reasoning for the new openings is the retirement of the baby-boom generation, said Heidi Sauber, director of engineering co-op and career services at the A. James Clark School of Engineering.
"Out of the employers when they call us, the biggest reason that employers cite is that they have an aging workforce who will soon be retiring," she said.
Retirement of the baby-boom generation "is especially true in the government agencies," she said. "They tend to stay in their positions."
About 20 percent of engineering graduates from the university go directly into government positions, Sauber said. The organization forecast a 9 percent increase this year in government/nonprofit jobs to graduating college students.
"The two biggest sectors they're going to be hiring this year within that 17.4 percent is service and manufacturing," Shutte said. "So all the majors that fall within that are a lot of accounting, finance and engineering majors - they are going to find the most jobs out there."
Contact reporter Anthony Glynn at glynndbk@gmail.com.
It seems 2007 will be a great year to graduate college, as professional recruiters are hiring more than they have in the three past years, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The group, which focuses on employment of the college-educated, reports that employers plan to hire 17.4 percent more than they did last year.
In the suburban Maryland and Washington region, labor demand increase is particularly high in the consulting and accounting fields, according to Monica Shutte, the director of undergraduate student programming, because of the proximity to many federal government jobs.
"We've also seen a lot of finance organizations come in," Shutte said. "[That and government] are the big ones."
The reaction from some university career counselors is fear that students will become overconfident with a fortuitous market in the upswing. For example, 68 percent of the engineering graduate class of December 2006 had accepted job offers, up from May 2005, when only 60 percent had accepted job offers.
The main reasoning for the new openings is the retirement of the baby-boom generation, said Heidi Sauber, director of engineering co-op and career services at the A. James Clark School of Engineering.
"Out of the employers when they call us, the biggest reason that employers cite is that they have an aging workforce who will soon be retiring," she said.
Retirement of the baby-boom generation "is especially true in the government agencies," she said. "They tend to stay in their positions."
About 20 percent of engineering graduates from the university go directly into government positions, Sauber said. The organization forecast a 9 percent increase this year in government/nonprofit jobs to graduating college students.
"The two biggest sectors they're going to be hiring this year within that 17.4 percent is service and manufacturing," Shutte said. "So all the majors that fall within that are a lot of accounting, finance and engineering majors - they are going to find the most jobs out there."
Contact reporter Anthony Glynn at glynndbk@gmail.com.
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